Do Real Madrid value Gareth Bale enough to keep him at the Bernabeu?

Gareth Bale’s time at Real Madrid has been a pretty up and down period to say the least. As 2015 has so far been a year to forget for £80 million man, it seems his once indisputably positive reputation with the Bernabeu faithful is seemingly on the rocks once again.

Whether it be through his supposedly greedy decision making on several occasions throughout this campaign, the ever burdening pressure that was always going to come with such a high profile transfer – or even just the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t take too well to someone else up staging him in front of the Real Madrid home crowd – Gareth Bale’s future in the Spanish capital has reportedly be thrown into question.

With such developments in mind, just where will the Welshman be plying his trade in the not too distant future? Do Real Madrid value him enough to keep him at the Bernabeu for the upcoming season, or will the former Tottenham star soon be on his way back to the Premier League ahead of schedule?

First of all, one thing that must be considered within this overall debate is the fact that Real Madrid fans probably go down as the most demanding and impatient set of supporters European football currently plays host to. Their club spends an obscene amount of cash every season on the most high profile talent they can get their hands on – so if things start to derail for even the briefest of spells – the Bernabeu faithful certainly won’t be shy about let their feelings show.

Gareth Bale felt the power of such a force first hand after his car was attacked on his way home from Spain’s most recent El Classico encounter. The 25-year-old certainly didn’t have the best of matches against Barcelona when the two sides last met, but it obviously goes without saying that such behaviour remains completely unjustified. Such is the nature of top level European football it seems.

The tension surrounding the former White Hart Lane hero had been building some time before this particular incident took place however. His recent goal drought since the turn of the year has failed to help his cause at the moment, too many times the wideman has been accused of drifting out of important matches without making much of an impact, and far too often the likes of Ronaldo have, perhaps inconsiderately, made a fuss over Bale’s shortcomings rather publically out on the pitch.

That said, the player himself is hardly deserving of such an outcome. Last season the no. 11 not only scored a soon to be legendary goal in the final of the Copa del Rey, but he also put away an all-important goal against Atletico Madrid that ultimately saw his side ease pass their neighbours in last season’s exciting Champions League culmination. Find out if we think Real Madrid can win the Champions League with our upcoming betting predictions and previews for the semi-finals.

The Welsh star excited the Bernabeu faithful for the vast majority of the 2013/14 campaign – and although the burden of being the world’s most expensive player wouldn’t be an easy status to take on for anyone regardless of their reported qualities – Gareth Bale is nonetheless doing and admirable job at keeping his head above water during these seemingly turbulent times.

So then, even if the Real Madrid hierarchy eventually decide that their gamble on Bale will come to its natural conclusion throughout the run up to next season, that doesn’t mean the former Southampton graduate isn’t deserving of a place within Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded starting XI right now.

He still goes down as one of the undisputed best talents in world football at the moment – and with the Premier League seemingly monitoring his rocky situation with his current employers – perhaps fans of English football will soon be in for a treat next season if Gareth Bale ultimately decides to call an end to his eventful Real Madrid career.

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